Boom Blox - Nintendo Wii

It may look cute and fuzzy on the outside, but don't let that fool you. At its core, this game is about one thing: destruction. EA and Steven Spielberg have created an addictive simulated-destruction-puzzle-game with a realistic physics system of building and destroying puzzles/levels populated by odd but cute block-style animals. The goal of the game is to get through the 300 levels of blocks, stacked in many shapes and configurations, with the least number of moves/throws or most number of points possible. The blocks come in a variety of shapes, sizes and types, each with its own unique properties. Using the Wiimote, you grab, shoot, and push the stacks of blocks to cause them to collapse. And depending on the types of blocks available, you can set off massive chain reactions or throwing a variety of different items at them. Chad and I have nearly completed the multiplayer co-op mode and I’ve been spending some time on the single player modes, here are our impressions. Gameplay: The very realistic Havok physics engine makes Boom Blox especially fun. Blocks react to being hit and towers fall as they would in the real world. Blocks react the way you think they would. And the explosions and topplings are satisfying. But this game isn’t without a few relatively minor problems: "Too-small" blocks: Several of the co-op levels are shooter levels where you and your friend(s) need to shoot blocks hurling across the screen, a problem is that some of the blocks are so small it’s virtually impossible to hit them. There’s another level where you have to pick up these small blocks, we fared better. Jenga-esque puzzles/levels: Here EA and Spielberg have taken two elements of Jenga and separated them out –the pulling of pieces out of a tower and the building of a tower from pieces. Pulling pieces out can be really awkward, especially if you try to pull towards or push away from you, what we found works best is to rotate the camera so you primarily pull pieces sideways, giving a greater level of control. Stacking is pretty tough because of finite camera rotation and the inability to zoom in –imagine playing Jenga with backward binoculars and oddly shaped pieces. Still, we found these levels fun and challenging and enjoyed playing them. "Hold on to yer [Wiimotes]": We can’t stress enough when playing Boom Blox you need to make sure to secure the Wiimote’s wrist-strap, using the rubber Wiimote jackets (covers) helps too –personally I really like the one that comes with Wiimotes now. We found ourselves making hard throws that had our Wiimotes slipped, something (e.g. TV, window, or wall) would have been damaged. Graphics: The game’s visual design is fantastic! From the crazy little varmints populating the levels to the backgrounds and themes (Tiki Island, Medieval Forest, Wild West Town, and Haunted House) everything is top notch. Sound: The sounds of blocks scraping and hitting each other and the ground are a big part of what makes this game so fun, you almost feel like you’re interacting with real materials. The animals populating the game (either as spectators or actors) making noises and the soundtrack really add to the world created in the game. Replayability: The overall 300+ puzzles/levels (not to mention the desire to achieve gold status for each) will definitely keep you busy for a long time. In addition to several single-player modes including a single-player campaign that includes a little bit of story and short animated scenes, Boom Blox features co-op and competitive multiplayer gameplay (in single and split-screen modes) alongside various mini-game activities. There’s also an in-game level editor where you can create from scratch or remix any puzzle from the game and then share with your friends via the WiiConnect24 service.

Bought this as a Christmas gift for college student; was surprised how much his friends & older sibling enjoyed playing this. Music & sounds are well matched to the actions, not annoying if you're doing something else while others are playing. Decided I wanted to play as well--it's truly awesome. I was suprised how much fun it is, and how challenging. This would be a great tool for physics teachers to incorporate in their lesson planning. Not going to be happy when it goes back to college after the holiday break.

This game is one of my favorite wii games. It has individual games or you can play with up to four people. You can play either cooperative with a teammate or competitive. It also challenges you to think about a strategy to get the most points. Games include shooting and throwing skills.

we bought this for the kids and we find ourselves playing with it its fun Steven Spielberg had something to do with the game don't know what. was surprised how fun it is tho great game and now its only $39 instead of $49

My wife and I just had our 4th son and we were up playing Wii while she fed him...we ended up playing this game for 3hrs after the baby fell asleep! It's so easy to get into and the action and sounds affects are just awesome! This game is great for all ages. Make sure you have 4 Wii remotes and plenty of time before sitting down to play this game. Thank you Spielberg!

I played this game at a friends house and i knew I had to have it! I went out and bought it and have been having a blast with it. My friends come over and we play this game more than any other game. Its a lot of fun with some challenging levels too. Its not too easy but also not so difficult that it will take forever to beat.

We have spent so many evenings as a family playing this one together. It takes a lot of strategy to ensure you don't leave a juicy block for the next player to hit. Even the 7 year old picked this one up in no time. There is tons of replay value in this for multiplayer, but very little for single player mode.

It's great for kids & adults. It's one game that I can play with my parents and have a blast. Sometimes if we can't figure out the puzzle, we just throw the balls at the little characters standing around the board to release frustration, then we would eventually figure out the puzzle.